Colonoscopy chronicles

So in half an hour I start "the cleanse" for a routine colonoscopy. About 2 years ago the doctor wanted me to have a "baseline" colonoscopy. I got the goop to drink to the tune of $190 dollars (I could hardly believe that!) and the procedure was scheduled. However, the doctor suggested I call my insurance company, just to make sure.

At the time I was retired but still under the school district's insurance. They denied coverage, and, fortunately, the pharmacy took back the kit since it hadn't been opened! The doctor said it would be okay to wait a couple of years until I was on Medicare.

Well, now that I am 65, I decided to make this one of the numerous free tests you can get during your first year on Medicare. The doctor's office set it up here in the ol' hometown with the new surgeon. I was supposed to go for a consultation on the day I was to pick up my mom at the Minnespolis airport, so they rescheduled for a week earlier.

But then the new doctor's nurse called to say he was going to be out of town that day, so they would send me a packet of information and the prescription. Guess I'll be meeting Dr. Fuller in the O.R.

Anyway, imagine my surprise when I went to fill the prescription for this "free" test and discovered that, even with Medicare and a $20 coupon that was in the packet, the prescription cost me over $70! It still costs $190 total and I haven't reached my prescription supplement's deductible in the past 3 1/2  months! But at least I only had to pay less than half out-of-pocket.

The surgeon's office called me 2 days ago to set the time of the procedure for 9:30 tomorrow morning. I could only have a liquid diet today (no milk, no alcohol, nothing red or purple in color). So far today I have had a sip of H2O with my HBP meds this A.M., a bowl of chicken broth, and a bottle of diet 7up for lunch. Guess I'll be dropping a few pounds during this ordeal. (That's a positive even if it'll mostly be poop.)

So I'm off to the kitchen to mix 6 oz. of SUPREP with 10 oz. of water, followed by 2 more 16 oz. glasses of H2O.

Okay, that wasn't so bad. It tasted sort of citrus-y but a little salty. The hard part was getting down 32 more ounces of water as a chaser! Surprisingly, the SUPREP was clear like water, not like the old thick and chalky barium people used to have to drink.